Magnum opus
by ShadowWolf181
Summary: Forced into slavery, Nadya Hawke's only way to survive is by obeying her master's orders daily. One person can save her from the brink of insanity - a slave who goes by the name of Fenris. Perhaps with his guidance, Nadya can destroy their unforgiving master and liberate them both from the hell fate had cruelly thrust upon them.


Time has no master. It drifts like the wind, unrelenting. So much power in that void of invisibility, perhaps even greater than that of the Maker.

Well one thing was for certain: Time was not on Nadya's side… Neither was her cognizance that slipped away as each moment passed.

XXX

When Nadya was a small child she had seen her fair share of slaves. Interestingly, they were always elven slaves, never humans or dwarves. One day she went to the bazaar with her mother and overheard a very hostile conversation. Craning her neck a little to see around the crowd, she noticed an elderly man—his fancy garments announcing him as a noble—screaming at a little elven boy who appeared to be around Nadya's age. The boy said something to his master, his words too soft to hear from that distance, and the noble man smacked him across the face so hard it ricocheted throughout the air, turning a few heads in the bazaar. The boy quickly stood from where he stumbled from the impact, and grabbed his cheek that burned in an equal dose of pain and humiliation. Nadya would've ignored the drama (it wasn't the first time she'd witnessed the discipline of a slave), but as she started to turn her head her eye caught that of the boy's… or maybe it was the elven boy who snared _her_ attention. It was that look in his eyes that enraptured her nonetheless, icy and emotionless… as dead and heavy as a rotting corpse. It left an impression, one that would haunt her for years to come.

Upon arriving home, Nadya questioned her mother relentlessly about the elven boy, her mother's responses just leaving more questions desired to be answered regarding slaves in general. She wanted to know why the only slaves in Kirkwall were elves, and why their masters treated them as if they had little to no value. Who gave that noble man, what gave _anyone_ the right to beat their slaves and look down on them as if they were mere cockroaches?

And more importantly, what made Nadya and her family so different from the rest? They were elves too, weren't they?

Her mother, Feyra, had been born into one of the Dalish tribes. The life of a Dalish elf was not suited for her, however, for she craved the city folk and the chaotic atmosphere more than the quiet and secluded life of her people. Eventually, she ran away at a young age to live with a human noble man who promised to cherish her until the day he died. That noble man kept his promise.

He married and later impregnated Feyra with twins. The parents of the noble man did not approve of his actions, but what could they do? Once Feyra gave birth, however, they were instantly enamored with the beautiful twins and their initial disgust at the couple was tamed. The devoted parents named their son Connor for his love of mabari hounds and wolves, and their daughter was called Nadya for the hope she would create in elves and humans alike, her very existence as a half-breed serving as proof that it wasn't impossible for two species to unite peacefully.

The Hawke family resided in a glorious estate in Hightown. From the spacious and cozy rooms, to the trendy clothes befitting a noble, to the delicious and expensive cuisine, and even to the servants that loyally served their family for generations… no, the Hawkes were in want of nothing. Which is why, at the time, Nadya couldn't fathom the reason why other nobles did not treat their slaves as well as the Hawkes treated theirs. Why did they all walk around with heads bowed and a gleam of despair in their eyes, despite the comfy garments and full bellies?

"You can dress a pet in nice clothes and feed it rich food, but that does not make it happy," is what her mother said then.

Nadya was confounded by this. It made as much sense as those stupid calculus equations her grumpy old tutor tried to shove down her throat every weekend. Perhaps she simply misunderstood. "But I dress in nice clothes and eat rich food and I'm happy."

Feyra laughed. She loved her mother's laugh, the way it carried like fallen leaves dancing in the wind, its enchanting melody.

"Yes child, but those are simply material things that help nurture your happiness. You possess something those slaves do not, something that has even more value than the finest garments and food money can buy. Do you know what it is?"

"Love?"

"That's right child. Love is tougher than any armor, cuts deeper than any sword. It is love that protects you and Connor… and hopefully love will bloom in the Maker's heart one day, so that He may return to His people."

"Hmm… maybe it will get better in time." Hope glimmered in Nadya's pure eyes, the kind of hope that came with the naivety of a child who still had to learn of the cruelty this world truly has to offer.

"Time is lost to them," Feyra said forlornly, lines of sadness marking her delicate flesh. "Time is but a cruel reminder of their wretched fate."

"So… they'll _never_ be free?" Her tone was one of incredulity.

"If they should acquire freedom then it's not without its price. The chains of time are not so easily severed. Should a slave escape and find a new home, they must be willing to accept their unforgiving past as a guest. We are all enslaved, Nadya, to our desires, to our despair, to our dreams… even to our hatred… and our love. When you are older you will understand."

Feyra smiled then and shooed Nadya off to play with her brother and beloved mabari hound, Isaac. But as she turned around to catch one final glimpse of her mother she couldn't help but wonder if that smile was meant more for Feyra herself and the Dalish family she left behind.

XXX

Nadya did understand. As she sat in the small confines of her dingy chamber everything started to make perfect sense. It made sense why some merchants in Lowtown would look upon her and Feyra with poorly hidden contempt. It made sense why the people they had business with spat discriminatory words when they believed the family was out of ear shot. It made sense why the mistreated slaves would glare at them with hatred, envy burning strongly in their hearts for the life they once dreamed of living, for no longer being able to hope for better days because they knew none were forthcoming.

During a mind-numbing lesson one late evening, she remembered her tutor saying that time is its own master, and that for slaves it no longer had any meaning as it did for everyone else. For the life of her she couldn't recall what brought that up, but it had held a certain power over her nevertheless. Nadya struggled to smile at the memory. At such a fragile age there was so much she had yet to comprehend regarding the relationships between people and the world in general. But she grew up and matured...

She became a slave to a mage… a magister… and time itself. Her eyes were opened. And she could see clearly.


End file.
